(Quebec) The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (LHJMQ) promises to set up a new “independent” process, which will not be affiliated with the circuit, by which any player who believes he is the victim of violent or inappropriate acts can file a complaint .
The president of the board of directors of the Saguenéens de Chicoutimi and president of the Assembly of members of the QMJHL, Richard Létourneau, affirmed that this new process, or committee (he used both terms), will be created in time for the next hockey season. For now, complaints sent to the QMJHL are handled by an employee of the circuit.
Mr. Létourneau answered Thursday by videoconference questions from parliamentarians responsible for studying the phenomenon of hazing in junior hockey and in other sports. In his testimony, he defended his league and the many mechanisms, support and training that are put in place to make young hockey players model citizens.
A recent Ontario Superior Court ruling uncovered testimonies from former junior hockey league players across the country who described violent acts suffered during initiations in the past, such as sticks inserted into the anus, genital mutilation and victims humiliated by being sprayed with urine or excrement.
In front of the parliamentarians in Quebec, Mr. Létourneau affirmed that he had never been informed of such acts since he gravitated within the LHJMQ. He also recalled that initiations were officially prohibited by the league. On Tuesday, Acting Commissioner Martin Lavallée announced that he had launched an independent investigation into allegations of events “of a sexual nature” that allegedly occurred in the 1990s.
For its part, the Sport’Aide organization – which offers online and telephone support services for young sportsmen who are victims of violence – reiterated Thursday in a parliamentary committee that it was necessary to put an end to “the omerta” concerning the unacceptable acts committed during certain initiations and which concern all sports, not just hockey.
The director general of Sport’Aide, Sylvain Croteau, read the testimony of a former athlete, now in his fifties, which demonstrates how deep-rooted hazing in sport is.
“Finally, I understand today that this nightmarish season is one of the reasons why I subsequently refused all invitations received for QMJHL team selection camps. There was no question of reliving this harassment, this humiliation and this fear already experienced, ”concludes the former athlete in his testimony read in parliamentary committee.
For Sport’Aide, “this quote also underlines an important component of abusive initiations which is the omerta surrounding them”.
“A striking statistic on the subject is that 12% of athletes say they have experienced an abusive initiation, while 80% describe having experienced behavior during their initiations that can be classified as abusive. The discrepancy between these two statistics is explained in particular by the trivialization of abusive behavior during initiations in a sporting context, ”says the organization.
Over the next few weeks, the MNAs who sat on the parliamentary committee will submit a report that will be read by the Minister responsible for Sport, Isabelle Charest. Faced with the testimonies that have rocked the hockey world in recent weeks, Ms. Charest promised to review the existing mechanisms for handling complaints.
